Metamorphosis: The Fourth Quarter Quell
by Hime-koi
Summary: "Adapt or Die," This year, the Capitol will break them down and surgically alter them. If they cannot adapt, they will be destroyed. (Discontinued)
1. Prologue: The Fourth Quarter Quell

Hello and welcome to the revised version of _Metamorphosis: The Fourth Quarter Quell_! The first version was sadly deleted by Fanfiction, probably because it broke the Terms of Service and asked for tributes. So, here is the non-breaking of rules version of Metamorphosis. It'll have the same tributes that it was supposed to have before, but things will be a little different.

I didn't save the chapters before, so the first four chapters will probably be much different than how it was before. I'm very sorry for this, and I hope that you like this version more than the previous.

So, here we go, starting with the revised (and longer, I believe) prologue.

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**Metamorphosis - The Fourth Quarter Quell**

_Degree Holland; 20 years old; District 12_

I question myself everyday and wonder why exactly we put up with this, why wasn't there another rebellion that didn't fail, why that so-called Mockingjay, Katniss Everdeen, didn't do more to get us out of this. Despite the fact that she basically led the second rebellion after the third Quarter Quell, it still wasn't enough to save everyone. She's still alive, but she moves in a way that resembles a ghost. There is another President, one that is ruthless like Snow, but in a more reserved, dignified way.

People gather in the streets of District 12 to view the announcement of the Quell and hope that this year it won't be their kid, that it'll be the kid standing next to them instead. That it won't be them themselves to be picked. I can see the fear in their eyes and I wish that I could do something, but it's not like I'd have any influence over it.

I wasn't a victor, and I certainly am not able to be a tribute considering my age. The last victors that District 12 had were Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. After that, every District 12 tribute was either a bloodbath or died somewhere in the middle. No one after them even got close to winning anymore, everyone here had lost hope after they seen that the second rebellion couldn't be accomplished. After Snow died, things had died down a little and the Games were postponed while they elected in a new President, but once she was revealed, everyone knew that she would be just as bad as Snow was, maybe even worse.

On the screen they set up in the district center, title credits begin to roll, describing the Hunger Games and the rules that you needed to know to play the game, the most important one of all being to stay alive. The words, '_The Hunger Games_' flash across the screen with a celebratory music reel and then fade to black as parts of previous Quells and especially important Games pass by.

The first Quell is shown. The one where the districts were forced to vote in their own tributes. It flashes by quickly and is the bloodiest so far that has been shown. I watch with a grimace as child after child falls down to the their demise, blood spilling out of various wounds and the life being sucked right out of their eyes.

After the first Quell, the second Quell passes by. The screen shows a good bit of Maysilee Donner, but an even greater portion of Haymitch Abernathy. Almost their whole alliance is shown throughout the flashback. And then, Maysilee's death is shown, pecked to death by large, pink birds. Haymitch holds her hand as she dies, and I can see the despair in his eyes. The Games flashes faster and then abruptly stops at the last moment. Haymitch slashes the District 1 girl's eye, and it falls out of it's socket, her screams echoing in the arena. Haymitch's force field trick is what eventually kills her, crowning him the winner and the first District 12 victor in a while.

There is a long showing of the Seventy-fourth Games and the Third Quarter Quell. The Seventy-fourth Games shows mostly Katniss Everdeen but a great deal of Peeta Mellark as well. There are certain parts of the Games that are skipped over: Katniss placing the District 11 girl, Rue in a bed of flowers and singing to her until she dies, the District 11 boy, Thresh, sparing Katniss for doing this for Rue, and of course, the part when Katniss and Peeta attempt a double suicide, but eventually both are crowned the victors.

The Third Quarter Quell is also aimed basically at Katniss. They show a great deal of Katniss and one of her allies, Finnick Odair of District 4, running around in search of their loved ones, who they heard the screams of in the arena. It flashes by quickly, and no more important scenes are shown, probably because the last scene, the one where Beetee of District 3 sets up a way to blow up the forcefield and Katniss eventually destroys it, is anti-Capitol.

And then, finally, the words '_The Fourth Quarter Quell_' rolls across the screen and I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. The words fade to darkness and the president's face fills the screen. There is a child next to her, holding a small box filled with yellow cards, the cards for the Quarter Quell. She reaches inside and pulls the appropriate card out.

"And now, I'll read the wonderful Quell for this year," she says and the child backs away with the box.

She slowly begins to take the card out of the envelope to read the condition, and a small smile adorns her lips. She looks menacing, as she did when she used to be called Commander Paylor when she was in District 8. Despite the fact that she's now the president of Panem, she'll never lose that sinister aura that she always had about her.

Her smile grows wider as she reads the condition of this year's Quell, "In honor of the 100th Hunger Games, the Fourth Quarter Quell, to remind the districts how change was used against them, the tributes will be surgically altered by the Capitol prior to the start of the Games,"

The people around me gasp and look at each other in shock, while I just frown in Paylor's direction. She's smiling that fake little smile again, and I have a distinct urge to wish someone would slap it off her face, but I know there's nothing I can do. As the Capitol says, I have no significance as just a mere citizen in District 12.

"Thank you," Paylor says and then places the card down.

Then, she turns directly towards the cameras, the one that is aimed to broadcast live to District 12, and speaks clearly, that smile off her face and looking exactly how she had when she was still a commander in 8,

"And may the odds be _ever _in your favor,"

* * *

**note**

And there's the prologue. Much different from the original one, and I've done away with the first idea I had for the Quell. If I ever make another Quell fanfiction, that'll probably be the idea for it. Chapter One will probably not be uploaded for a while due to the fact that not only do I have write everything over, but I'm working with different causes towards getting interactive fanfiction legalized on the site. I also have to get my will to write back. After Metamorphosis was deleted, I seriously thought about just giving up altogether, but then I figured that the deletion of these stories will never stop if we don't persevere and work through it together.

But, I hope you enjoyed this prologue and thank you for reading! :)

Next chapter introduces District 1 of course, and I'll still be starting with the male tributes instead of the female. Chapters will also probably be longer and much different than they were before. I'll definitely make sure to back everything up this time.

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**sponsor points**

If you remember how many sponsor points you had from the previous Metamorphosis, you may of course, keep those. But, I'm not able to know who reviewed when now since everything's gone, so hopefully, you all kept up with that. Otherwise, I'll just give everyone an extra four points to the points I have in my records.


	2. D1, Sightless and Speechless

I'm so, so sorry everyone!

I know it's been two months since I first posted the revised prologue and I apologize for that. It was just a little harder than I thought it would be to get over the fact that the original Metamorphosis was deleted. Also, Wonder's character bio is lost forever, and since Tsu666 will not reply to me, I had no choice but to create this chapter from memory.

I don't remember whether Wonder had a token or not so I decided against giving him one.

Alana and Wonder's interaction is also shorter than it was before. Mostly because I had to rush to create this chapter. Tonight, a hurricane is coming to my area (like every year) so I'll be without electricity for a while. Hopefully, it doesn't damage much though.

Well, without further delay, here's chapter 1!

_Wonder was submitted by Tsu666._

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**Metamorphosis - The Fourth Quarter Quell**

_Wonder Silverdream; 16 years old; District 1_

Out of the three-hundred and sixty-five days of the year, there is only one I absolutely look forward to. Of course, as a resident of District 1, I'm not the only kid that enjoys this particular day, but I AM the only one that should.

After all, I'm the only one capable of winning.

I hop out of bed, and look outside. It's bright and sunny. I grin. Perfect. Absolutely the kind of weather that I needed for today.

There's probably close to an hour or two until the Reapings, the selection of kids for this year's Hunger Games, officially start. I usually wake up around this time every Reaping Day as I don't want to wait for it to begin. I'm not exactly the most patient.

I pull on a light yellow shirt and simple black jeans. Unlike most of the other District 1 residents who enjoy fashion and extravagant things, I don't care much for my appearance. After a quick check around my room (which will probably be the last time I see it for a while), I head out.

Descending the stairs, I note that one of my many servants are standing at the bottom. He calls out to me as I head towards the door. "Wouldn't you like to eat before you head out, sir? Your mother is waiting for you in the kitchen,"

I sneer at the mention of my incompetent mother. What makes them think that today of all days is the one where I'd want to spend time with her? Ridiculous, but I'll decide to humor them for today. Yet another reason why I can't wait to be in the Games.

I sit at the one side of the kitchen table; my mom sitting on the other side. She doesn't look up when I enter, and continues to stare down at her food, speechless. Likewise, I lower my eyes from her to my food and begin eating. I'm more than sure that the rest of the meal will probably proceed this way. She won't say a word to me at all.

My mom and I had always been pretty distant, but our most distant moments were when the Hunger Games came around. This is one of the reasons why I don't like her. When I was younger and we were a bit closer, she used to advise me never to volunteer for the Games like the other kids would do when I got older. Of course, I didn't listen to her as being in the Games is one of my only goals at the moment. It did plague me every once in a while though as to why she hated the Games so much.

As District 1 residents, most of the kids here trained for the Games, volunteered, and then either got pretty far and succumbed to a D2 kid or a D4 kid, or won the Games, bringing home the riches and the glory to the district.

That's mostly why I can't understand her wishes. Shouldn't she _want _her son to participate?

"Madame, the Reaping starts soon," a lone servant came to stand beside my mother. "If you'd like to make it early, it'd be good to leave now."

Hearing that, I immediately hand my almost empty plate to a nearby servant and push my chair back, leaping up. I'm ready to race towards the door, but I stop abruptly in my tracks when my mother quickly mumbles.

I turn towards her. "What?"

She shakes her head, and looks up at me. I stare into the lifeless eyes that I've seen on her my entire life, and see them flicker with sadness for a bit. Her mouth eases into a distant smile, and she turns away from me, getting back to her food.

I head back towards the door, not looking back at her.

She doesn't see me, and I'll no longer foolishly look for her.

* * *

By the time I arrive at the district center for the Reaping, there are already crowds of kids there, talking excitedly amongst themselves about whether or not they'll volunteer. About who's volunteering amongst their friends and who is too cowardly to volunteer.

Involuntarily, I let out a small chuckle. Fools. They really think they have a chance?

The other sixteen year old boys standing around me push each other around, and high five each other. I never bothered to get to know any of them. Why should I bother to know the name of people who are below me? A couple have tried to talk to me over the years, possibly to try and befriend me, but I reject all of them.

The escort, an older man, ascends the steps to the stage. He doesn't look over to the boys at all and instead sweeps his eyes over the other side of the center, looking in the direction of the girls. A couple of them giggle and wave at him, gesturing to themselves, trying to get him to pick them when the volunteering begins.

A couple of the boys around me scream out shouts of 'That's not fair!' or 'Why the hell wasn't I born a girl?' Equality doesn't really matter to me as it doesn't exist. Even if genders are equal in themselves, there are people who are better than others, regardless of gender.

The escort sidles back to the microphone, and begins the opening speech. Although I'm in the front and focusing on him a fair amount, I'll admit that I'm having trouble exactly _seeing _him. A problem I've had since I was young involved my sight.

This may be a handicap in the Games, and I considered against volunteering at all, but the Quell announcement changed everything. If I could somehow get the Capitol people to alter my eyesight, then I'll be unstoppable in the Games. The only thing I need to think about at the moment is whether or not I'll be able to get them to agree to my terms.

The escort names the District 1 winners from the past Games. It's a fairly long list, and I absolutely can't wait to have my name added to it. After he rolls up the papers that contained his speech, he heads over to the bowl of girls' names. I decide to pay a little more attention than usual since the person that is picked after the volunteering will be my opponent.

He pulls out a girl's slip, and starts to call it out. "Ariel J-..." He doesn't get a chance to say more than the first letter of her last name before girls start screaming out together, 'I volunteer!' Some of the boys next to me cover their ears from the screams. I, on the other hand, search the crowd of females as well as I can to see who he could possibly pick.

Then, my eyes land on a girl in the front. She's calmly standing there, not uttering a single word. She flips her long, blonde hair behind one shoulder and walks as close to the stage as she can. She leans over the edge and I can see her mouth moving. The escort steps toward her, probably to hear what she has said.

She whispers into her ear, and caresses his face while doing so. The escort gets a lecherous look on his face. I'm utterly repulsed by his actions and wonder how long it'd take to get him fired. Definitely not the person I'd want to spend the train ride to the Capitol with.

The blonde-haired girl says something once more, making the escort's face heat up. He stammers out a question, and she replies to it. I stare at the girl as she starts to make her way to the stage. At the same time, the escort composes himself and stumbles to say her name, "A-Alana DeBenedetto! The female tribute for District 1!"

A chorus of disappointed girls' shouts ring out while the boys just clap and cheer. I hate her already, this Alana. I can already tell she'll be one of my biggest opponents in the Games, and although I love a challenge, the Quell's conditions make it even harder to consider the challenges I'll have.

The escort tears himself away from staring at Alana and walks over to the bowl of boys' names. I become anxious as the other boys push each other away from the front. The escort makes an effort to push his hand into the bowl before Alana grasps his wrist, and pulls one out herself. She hands it to him, and steps back into her position.

"D-Davi-..." the escort calls before once again, being interrupted.

The district center erupts with screams of '**I volunteer!**' and I'm pushed away from the front. Desperately, I push a couple of kids smaller than me farther behind me, and try to push myself back towards the front of the crowd.

A bunch of the boys shout in protest, and the escort looks frantic as he doesn't know which one to pick. I shout in what I believe is a voice louder than everyone else's, but the escort points, as if in slow motion, to the kid standing next to me. I freeze in motion and immediately become angry. The kid next to me barely has a chance to even smile before I push him to the ground to take his place with another shout of, "I volunteer!"

The escort looks shocked, and Alana smirks in her place next to him. I glare at her in hatred before stalking over to the stairs. Before the escort has a chance to ask me what my name is, I spit it out. "Wonder Silverdream."

He nods quickly and turns to the microphone. "And the male tribute for District 1, Wonder Silverdream!"

The girls cheer while the boys look at me in obvious distaste. I can see the looks of utter disappointment on their and their parents' faces in the crowd, and this makes my anger dissolve. I grin at all of them widely and scan their faces.

That is, until I catch my mother's expression.

That lifeless look is gone for the first time in years, and she's expressionless. Her eyes hold an do however hold an expression that I cannot make out, and I'm instantly surprised over this. I wonder what she's going to tell me when the visiting times start, if she even does visit me after what I've done. Disobeyed her orders.

The escort timidly takes my arm, and I almost jerk it out of his grip until I notice he has also taken Alana's arm. She smirks at me from her side, and I look away, my anger and hate rapidly returning. The escort lifts our arms high and calls out,

"I present to you the tributes of District 1, Alana DeBenedetto and Wonder Silverdream!"

Everyone cheers. They're angry, I can tell, but they cheer anyway.

* * *

The Justice Building is gigantic; the inside very beautiful. I'm not surprised at all as I've seen most of this my entire life. I'm taken to my visiting room and told to sit and wait until the allotted time is over. I won't be surprised if my mom doesn't show at all. Especially after the look she gave me after I volunteered.

However though, after a good ten minutes of waiting, she does eventually appear through the door, her lifeless mask painted back on her face. I'm somewhat upset to see her emotionless towards my situation while a normal parent would be overjoyed that I wanted to bring honor to my district. But, my mom wasn't like that.

An awkward silence stretches out as soon as she sits down across from me. I watch as she opens her mouth multiple times to try and talk to me, failing each time. Finally, I get tired of it, and decide to ask her the question that's been on my mind for years. "Why do you hate the Games?"

She frowns, and doesn't answer. Instead, she asks me a question. "Why'd you do it? Why's you disobey me after I warned you day after day about the Games?"

"Are you _serious_?" I yell out at her. "You're supposed to be happy! You're supposed to be proud of me! Why aren't you? I've been waiting my entire life for this moment, and I figured that my so-called _mother_ would be at least a _little _happy for me!"

I stare at her and she turns her eyes to the floor. Once again, she's running away from her problems. Never once in my life has she been there for me when I actually needed her. This is why we don't have a normal relationship. This is why every day I wake up wishing I had a normal mother, wishing I had a normal family.

I watch those other kids out there with their parents, and I wonder if they're happy. While they're happily spending time with their family, I'm here with a horrible mother who hasn't even told me the outcome of my own father. She keeps secrets from me, and although I thought today was going to be the day she told me a little about these things, I guess in the end, I couldn't count on her at all.

She mumbles, and I think about earlier when she mumbled the exact same thing. "What? You said that this morning too? What are you trying to tell me?"

She looks up at me with glistening eyes, and my rage melts away at the sight. "The reason why I don't like the Games...your father died in the Games..."

I'm shocked. This is why she wouldn't allow me to volunteer? Because she's afraid I'll die like my father did? It makes me a little happy that she actually worries about me, but still a little discouraged because she doesn't believe I could win.

"You thought to tell me this _now_?" I let out a sad chuckle. "You have the worst timing, mom,"

I step over and give her the first hug that we've shared in years. She hugs me back tightly, her tears drastically wetting my shirt.

"I'm not going to die, mom. I promise."

* * *

The ride to the Capitol won't be long, I'm sure, but I'm still really anxious to arrive there. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can start preparation for the Games. The Peacekeepers bring Alana and I to the train station where we board one of the trains docked there. I head immediately to the back of the train, and plant myself there, closing my eyes, hoping Alana doesn't try to talk to me.

It works to ward people out for a while until the very end of the ride when Alana steps towards me. I catch a glimpse of the expensive "A" charm necklace around her neck which is most likely her token for the Games. I myself didn't bother with a token as they're an ultimate waste of time.

She leans towards me and whispers in my ear. I try to flinch back, but of course, the train seat restrains my path. Alana smirks. "I know your secret,"

I stare at her with hatred. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She just laughs and points at her eyes, and I immediately know. She knows about my eyesight. But how? How does she know my only weakness already? I grit my teeth. My entire survival is lasting on the Capitol altering my eyes.

The escort exits the train, helping Alana off. Next, our mentor, a stocky woman of about thirty-two named Kiah steps off the train, huffing when the escort doesn't bother to try and help her off. I'm the last to step off.

There are crowds of people cheering 'District 1!' over and over as we walk amongst them. Alana smiles at all of them, and waves happily at them while I glare at most of them, which only fuels their excitement for the Games.

Alana turns and winks at me. The crowd cheers, but I know exactly what message she's trying to convey. She's infuriating, and I'm already imagining how I'll outsmart her and eventually kill her in the Games.

I don't know exactly how I'll persuade the Capitol surgeons to improve my eyes, but my entire life is depending on it.

* * *

**note**

And there's the first chapter! Much, much different than before! I've done away with a lot of things. Hopefully, you guys like this version!

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!

Next chapter is in Alana's point of view, of course!

* * *

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	3. D1, Mind Games

Kay, guys, here's the next chapter!

Hopefully, you guys like this Alana as much as you liked the last one. There's also a little more interaction involving her friend who will be a little more prominent in the fic than I wanted her to be at first.

_Alana was submitted by basketball1029._

* * *

**Metamorphosis: The Fourth Quarter Quell**

_Alana DeBenedetto; 17 years old; District 1  
_

"Wake up!"

Light floods my room, and I sit up abruptly, opening my eyes to the almost blinding sunlight streaming through the windows. When my eyes adjust eventually, I'm greeted with the sight of one of my servants, my own special one and the one closest to me, a young woman named Aisy. Although her presence is usually welcomed, I'm not as happy for it at the moment.

"Aisy!" I say, loudly. "What is your problem?"

"Well, _you _were the one who told me to wake you up early!" she exclaims, rolling her eyes. "Or did you forget?"

Aisy is the only servant that I'd allow to talk to me like that as she's always the one by my side when my parents can't be there for me. I tolerate her more than the others, of course. Her words do make me get up no matter how tired I am. I have to be at the district center early if I want to be picked.

I gesture for Aisy to hand me the dress draped over the edge of my bed. It's a short, shimmering gold cocktail dress with a pair of matching heels to complete the look. Aisy waits for me while I dress, and when I'm done, she acknowledges me.

"Would you like for me to summon Michelle?" she asks. "The two of you are walking to the center together today, right?"

"Would you please?" I say while descending the spiraling stairs.

Michelle Lukasiak and I have been best friends for years. There isn't anything I don't tell her, and there isn't anything she doesn't tell me. The two of us are utterly inseparable, and although I'll miss her when I enter the Games, I can't wait to come home with the winnings so we could spend it all together. It's something we've been planning for a while now.

I enter the kitchen where my mom is taking plates from the servants and placing them on the table. My dad is already seated in his usual seat at the table, talking on the phone. He smiles at me when he sees me enter, and immediately says a quick farewell to the person on the line before hanging up and turning fully towards me.

"So, today's the big day, huh?" he says, smiling.

I nod happily, and take my seat.

My mom takes her seat and looks in my direction as well. "Remember, this is what your training all your life has been for," I roll my eyes. Every day, she reminds me that I've been training my entire life for Games. I'm starting to think she thought I actually _needed _the training. Of course, even without it, I'm a natural-born killer and _will _win the Games. No matter what.

Aisy comes into the kitchen with Michelle walking behind her. Michelle immediately heads over to my seat at the table, snatching a slice of bacon off of my plate which on a normal day, I would berate her about, but I'm so damn excited for today, I don't mind.

As she chews, she sits in the chair next to mine, and grins at me. She swallows, grabs a glass of orange juice offered to her by a servant and leans back as if she owns the place. "Wow, can't wait to see my best friend brutally murdering other kids on live television. It's gonna be freakin' epic!" she chuckles in that loud manner of hers.

I roll my eyes, but still smile in her direction.

After I'm done eating, I stand up and pull Michelle along with me. She promised that we'd walk together to the center, unlike the years before when she ditched me for her family. I'm a little disappointed that I won't be going with my own family, but a little freedom from my somewhat strict parents should be good.

"We'll be leaving now, mom," I say as I take a simple gold necklace that Aisy holds out to me.

"Okay then, sweetie," my mom says in reply as she watches Michelle and I head to the door. "Have fun, and we'll see you at the visiting times,"

We wave and head out the door. My house is pretty close to the center itself so I can actually make out a few features of the stage set up in the center. I can see a small glimpse of the person that'll be escorting me and my district partner to the Capitol this year. And suddenly, I'm glad that my parents will be coming a little later to the Reaping.

I know what I'll have to do to be picked as the volunteer. And I don't like it.

* * *

When Michelle and I finally arrive at the district center, there aren't many people there so we head to the very front of the crowd. A couple girls of obviously jealous girls glare at us along the way while others greet us happily. I smile at them all either way.

"Have you thought about what you're taking for your token?" Michelle asks me when we settle down in a spot.

I think about it for a bit. The token was one of things I hadn't really considered much, but I figured that I'd just take one of the many pieces of jewelry that my parents had given me over the years. Of course, I wanted my token to be something pretty extravagant, but nevertheless, I hadn't given it much thought what with the training and volunteering to worry about.

"Maybe just this necklace," I reply, clutching the plain gold necklace around my neck. "My token is one of the least of my worries, honestly."

Michelle stares at me weirdly. "But, everything has to be perfe-..."

She doesn't get a chance to finish her sentence. The feedback of the microphone interrupts her as the escort steps up to it. In our conversation, we both hadn't noticed that most of the other kids had filled into the center.

The escort scans over us without a passing glance to the boys and Michelle winks once at him, erupting giggles from me, her, and a couple of girls around us. He turns bright red and turns back to his task at hand, selecting kids for the honor of participating in the Games.

He makes his way over to the bowl with the girls' names, and stuffs his hand inside. Although I'm a little nervous, I can't help but grin in anticipation. I'd like to scan the crowd for my parents beforehand, but as things are going at the moment, I probably won't be able to. I just hope they won't be around to see what I'm about to do to get what I want.

He pulls out a slip and reads the name, "Ariel J-..."

Girls all over interrupt him with shouts. Michelle just stands by calmly without a caring look on her face. She looks blankly at me, and I nod, walking up to the stage slowly. Some of the girls allow me to pass them, but most of them look as if they're ready to criticize.

The escort stares at me when I arrive at the edge of the stage. My breath hitches, and I become more nervous, but I start to execute my plan. My hand almost shakily comes up to my dress, and I pull it down a bit more, still showing a significant amount of skin. I lean against the edge of the stage. Just thinking about doing this for a disgusting escort repulses me.

He comes closer to me and I place my left hand on the side of his face. He jumps a little, but I, of course, have his full, undivided attention. I lean towards his ear and whisper, "I volunteer."

He looks a little skeptical, but I quickly say, "Maybe we can have some _fun_ in the Capitol together?"

He stares wide-eyed at me, and I can tell I've done it. He straightens up and stammers out a question, asking me what my name is. After I reply, he gestures toward the stage, and happiness fills me up as I make my way over to the stairs.

He announces my name to everyone else, and lots of girls groan in disappointment. Michelle gives me a thumbs-up from the front, which I return with an arrogant grin. The escort makes his way over to the bowl of boys' names. He shakily thrusts his hand inside, but can't seem to get a grip on a certain name. I roll my eyes, grasp his wrist, and pull one out for him, placing it in his hand.

He starts to call the name, "D-Davi-..." before being interrupted. This time by the boys.

I watch as a bunch of frantic boys push each other to the front with screams of 'I volunteer!' Many are pushed back to make room for the stronger ones. Pathetic. I scan them all until I see a tall, blonde-haired boy push his way to the front.

The escort looks at all of the boys, and hesitantly points to a brown-haired kid next to the blonde. I see the anger melting into his face and he immediately forces the brunette to the ground, taking his place, immediately. The escort stares in surprise, but I smirk next to him. He'll definitely be a tough opponent in the Games. Perfect.

When he reaches the stage, he angrily spits out his name before the escort has a chance to ask him for it. He nods once quickly, and stalks back over to the microphone. "And the male tribute for District 1, Wonder Silverdream!" he announces.

There's cheering and sounds of disappointment across the center. I briefly notice Wonder grinning at everyone arrogantly. That is, until he sees someone in the crowd that makes him stop abruptly. I turn away as the escort grasps my arm, and then Wonder's. He looks toward me, and I smirk once again. The escort lifts our arms with a call of,

"I present to you the tributes of District 1, Alana DeBenedetto and Wonder Silverdream!"

The center erupts in cheers. They smile and grin, but it's all a facade.

* * *

My time in the Justice Building is boring. It isn't as if I haven't seen all of this before. Everything inside of the building itself is fancy, including the visiting room I'm led to. I take it all in with a calm expression, and lean back, waiting for my first visitor.

I expect it to be my parents, but I'm shocked when a group of three boys are allowed into the room. I barely know them besides seeing them around at school or around the district. However, I'm pretty sure they have some inkling who I am since they bothered to visit me.

"Um, Alana," the one in the front who I presume is the leader says. "Do you remember me?'

I don't really, but nevertheless, I nod.

He sighs in relief, and gives me a small smile. I wonder exactly what he's here for before he opens his mouth. "Well, um, since you're going off to the Games, I just thought I might...since I might not get the chance later...to say that I..."

He trails off, but I know what he's going to say. I've had enough boys confess to me to know exactly what he wants to tell me. And, it makes me furious. Not because he took this long to confess to me. Not because he brought others in to witness it. Not because he barely knows me, and probably doesn't even really love me.

No. The thought of him confessing sickens me because it's not me he's in love with. It's my body.

I'm fuming, but I force a smile onto my face. I stand up, and kiss him on the cheek. I'm angry, and if he really loved me, he would notice. But, of course, him and his friends just grin at me happily. "I'll take that as an acceptance?" he asks.

_Repulsive._

I wink at him. "We'll see."

_I hate him._

A little later, my parents visit, but I barely notice the reminders they're shoving at me. I'm still much too angry about my earlier encounter with those boys. I'm distant and only answer questions that I absolutely have to. That is, until, my mom asks me on the matter of my token.

"You don't have one, right?" she asks, and proceeds to pull a necklace out of her purse.

It's a gold one, much like the one I already have around my neck with the exception of a diamond-encrusted "A" charm dangling from it. I snap out of my earlier thoughts when I see it. It's absolutely breathtaking.

My mother places it around my neck with gentle hands. She once again wishes me 'good luck' while my father gives me a soft kiss on my forehead. I relish in this because it's the last time I'll see them, the family I've never spent more than a day or two away from my entire life, for a while. When they leave, I find myself wishing for their return.

Michelle comes in shortly after. She's grinning at me, and I can't help but grin back at her. She has a small stack of papers in her hands that I stare at curiously when she takes a seat next to mine. She places them to the side, and then turns to me.

"So, how have the visits been?" she asks.

Immediately, my earlier fury returns. "Why-..." I stop myself short.

Michelle furrows her brows. "Why what, Lanny?"

I clinch my fists. Now that I'm in the presence of someone I trust, I feel as if I could break my inner walls down a little bit. Small, angry tears fill my eyes despite my trying to will them away. "_Why _isn't there one, _just one_, decent boy in this district that _doesn't _constantly have sex on their mind?"

Michelle says nothing, and truthfully, I'm grateful for the silence. Although I'm not crying, just softly shaking, she pulls me into a hug and gently brushes my hair down continuously. "Look, I have something that may cheer you up," she says after doing this for a bit.

I look at her curiously, and she picks up the papers she entered with before. A smirk adorns her face, and she hands the stack to me. "It seems like your so-called _opponent _isn't as indestructible as I originally thought. Even he has a weakness."

I skimmed the pages, and eventually a smirk also came across my face.

"Winning the Games is going to be _so _easy."

* * *

When it was time for the Peacekeepers to escort me to the train, I was hesitant when boarding it. I was anxious to see Wonder, but I dreaded the sight of our escort. Upon finally getting on, Wonder headed to the back of the train. As soon as I took a step towards him, our escort and mentor immediately stopped me.

Throughout the ride, the escort, named Mikei, kept placing his hand on my knee. Constantly, I looked towards the mentor, Kiah, for help, but unfortunately kept her distance. Fortunately, when we were approaching the Capitol train station, Mikei wandered off to the windows.

I slipped away to the back of the train, finding Wonder still in the same position. I lean over him, whispering in his ear, provoking him. He's confused at first, but I give him a hint, letting him know I'm aware of his weakness by gesturing towards my eyes.

Eventually, we step off the train, the crowd outside screaming out 'District 1!' over and over. I turn and wink at Wonder, making him even angrier. If possible, the crowd cheers louder when they see this.

I grin and face forward. With the Quell announcement along with my very interesting district partner, I'm pretty sure this will be the greatest Games yet.

The Capitol crowd cheers around me, and I turn to wave at them.

I'll be sure to put on a good show.

* * *

**note**

This chapter is shorter than it was in the original story, but hopefully, that's okay. Alana's a little different as well (Hopefully, she's still how you imagined her to be). Also, the idea of Aisy randomly came to me; as most of you know, she wasn't a part of the original.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!

Next chapter starts the D2 reapings! :)

* * *

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